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Winter/Spring 2017
effectively over time by trusted individuals. Making that
happen is the principal job of the “community-centered”
board.
In order to capitalize on that opportunity, the board needs
to truly understand what the community wants and needs,
and what it thinks and believes. Once that understanding has
been achieved, the board needs to be committed to driving
responses to the needs, interests and concerns of what some
call the “communities within the community,” the many
different stakeholders and constituents that, taken together,
form the total fabric of the community.
But the job does not stop there. The board needs to ensure
that the hospital is committed to measuring and evaluating
its performance in meeting community needs, delivering the
benefit and value the community expects.
Once that value has been clearly defined, it should be
communicated widely in ways that are meaningful to various
community constituencies. A one-size message does not work.
Different constituencies have different needs and different
confidence “trigger points.”
People throughout the community need to be informed and
engaged in meaningful discussions about the role and value of
the hospital, and the benefit it provides that is unique to them
and their needs. It’s only through this kind of customized
community connection that the hospital will be able to build a
broad body of advocates in every corner of the community to
support what Dick Davidson, the former president of the AHA
called hospitals’ “rightful place as valued and vital community
resources that merit broad public support.”
Determining value and communicating the message
Creatively and consistently conveying the value message
is accomplished through a community benefit report that
defines and communicates the true benefit and value
hospitals create, not simply the economic value they provide,
or the economic multiplier they create.
Accomplishing that requires an organization to be willing
to think differently about what benefit and value are, to
be passionate about helping the community make the
connection, and willing to make a community value and
benefit reporting process more than a one-time effort that’s
undertaken because it’s the “solution of the day.”
It’s not. Instead, it’s the bedrock for building a lasting
foundation of community understanding and community
willingness to join the fight to improve health care funding,
remove unnecessary governmental and regulatory barriers,
and ensure the long-term future of the hospital. It’s useful as
a community support and loyalty-building tool, an advocacy
tool, a business-building tool, a volunteer-raising tool, and a
board recruitment and orientation tool.
Developing a community benefit report
There are a number of different approaches hospitals may
use to share information publicly about their commitment to
their local communities, and about the services and benefits
they provide. It is important that hospitals provide this
information to help their communities understand the kinds
of services that are available to them, and also to respond to
calls for greater public accountability for hospital activities.
Because each hospital and community is unique, no single
approach works best for all. It’s essential to create an
organized, well-crafted document that clearly and powerfully
describes all of the services and benefits the hospital provides,
along with a translation of the impact of the hospital’s
activities and efforts on community health.
The American Hospital Association has developed a checklist
to help ensure hospitals have created a document which
demonstrates each hospital’s unique story about what the
hospital is doing and how it helps serve the community.
There are a number of factors hospitals should consider when
developing a community benefit report:
•
The hospital’s mission, values, and goals are clear to
employees, medical staff, and the public. The mission/
values/goals are clearly described, easily understood,
and communicated throughout all levels of the
organization and surrounding communities.
•
Community connection is demonstrated. There is
a clear understanding of the social, geographic and
economic characteristics of the hospital’s community.
The hospital recognizes the unique health trends of the
community and what barriers to care exist. In addition,
the hospital has clearly defined its connection to other
governmental and social service organizations when
conducting a community needs assessment.
•
Comprehensive inventory of the benefits the hospital
provides to the community are available. The needs of
the community that are being met through inpatient
diagnostic and treatment services should be made
available in a language easily understood by all.
Additionally, the value and effect of outpatient, off-
site and extended care services should be presented.
The hospital should identify programs and services
targeted to the hospital’s communities and vulnerable
populations.
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SPECIAL SECTION: A COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY: TRUSTEE SPOTLIGHT